Roofing and other sheet and process for making same



Jan. 29, 1929.

F. J. COMMIN ET AL ROOFING AND OTHER SHEET AND PROCESS FOR MAKING- SAMEJ y 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIII Jan. 29, 1929. 1,700,561

F. .1. COMMIN ET AL ROOFING AND OTHER SHEET AND PROCESS FOR MAKING SAMEFil y 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Firzzwzzg I iffy Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

, UNITED .s ATEs PATENT o FIcE.

FREDERICK JAMES COMMIN, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ARTHUR HENRY J'AMESWRIGHT, OF HIGHAM, ENGLAND.

:aoormo AND OTHER SHEET Am r ocEss Fort MAKING SAME.

Application filed) July 6, 1925, Serial No. 41,818, and in Great BritainApril 4, 1925.

- This invention relates to metal reinforced pitch fibre compositionsheets for roofing and other purposes and to a process for producing thesame.

According to the invention felted'fibrous pulp and pitch compositionwith an interv'en-' ing layer or'coating of adhesive is applied to eachside of a perforated metal. sheet, preferably perforated by stabbin sothat it is providedwith a multiplicity o small projectmg tongues, andthe composite body so' formed is subjected to heat and pressure wherebya reinforced composition sheet is produced having high tensile strengthand durable ualities rendering it suitable for use for roo ng "and otherpurposes even in tropical'climates without fear of separation of thecomposition and its reinforcements under considerable variations intemperature.

The pitch pulp composition used is preferably prepared according to theprocess described in United States specification No. 1,511,949, it beingunderstood that the term pitch is used to include natural pitch orbitumen or other forms of pitch suchas coal tar pitch.

In the accompanying drawings Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a planand sectional elevation showing a fragment .of one form of reinforcedcomposition sheet according to the invention, part of the compositionbeing assumed to be removed.

Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, a plan and sectional elevationshowing a fragment of another form of reinforced composition sheetaccording to the invention, part of the composition being assumed to beremoved.

- Figure 5 shows on an enlarged scale and in sectional elevation a smallfragment of reinforcing sheet.

Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and sectional elevation showingafragment of a further form of reinforced composition sheet according tothe invention part of the composition sheet being assumed to be removedaFigures 8 and 9 are respectively a plan and sectional elevation showinga similar form of reinforced composition sheet to that shown in Figures3 and 4 but corrugated.

Figures lO'and 11 are two sectlonal eleva- 'tions on an enlarged scaleillustrating a fragment of reinforced composition sheet after being andto heat and heavy pressure.

subjected respectively to light pressure 9 sheet so formed is thensubjected to heat and Figures 12, 13 and 14 are diagrammatic elevationsillustrating suitable forms of apparatus used in succeeding stages ofthe process.

In one mode of carrying out the inven-' tlon a thin steel reinforcingsheet 1 is used whlch 1s perforated with dies so as to-form holes 2 andprojecting tongues 3. Any desired shape of die may be used for examplesuch as to produce holes 2 and tongues 3 of the segmental form shown inFigures 1 and 2 or holes 2 and jagged tongues 3 as indicated in Figures3 to 8. The stabbing may be effected from one side of the sheet only, toforce out the tongues 3 to one side of the sheet as indicated in Figures1 to 4, 5,18 and The sheet provided with holes 2 and" tongues 3 ofwhatever form adopted is heated to about 250 C. for instance by passagethrough a travelling-oven 5, Figure 12, I

and after passage through the oven is immersed in a bath 6 of moltenadhesive. A suitable adhesive is a glue com osed of bitumen, indiarubber and shellac, t e bath 6 being heated so as to maintain the glueat a.

temperature of about 300 C.- The metal' sheet is removed and excess glueis allowed to drain off, the sheet being kept at a temperaturesufficient to prevent thickening of the glue, for example, the sheetafter removal from the bath may be held bath until the excess glue sheet1 so coated with glue on both sides is on edge over the has run off. The

then laid upon a felted sheet 7, Figure 13, ofk pitch fibre composition,preferably a composition of cellulose fibre and a pitch, i. e.- coal tarpitch, bitumen or natural pitch, peptized for instance, as described inthe specification No. 1,511,949. A second sheet 8 of I similar pitchfibre composition and of similar or different thickness is laid upon themetal sheet 1. The sandwich so formed is then lightly pressed forinstance by passage through a pair of rollers 9, 9, the pressure beingsufficient to force the composition sheets 7, 8, into close contactwiththe glue coating 10, Figure 10, to embed the tongues 3 in thecomposition, and to press the com position into the holes I The lightlypressedreinforced composite heavy pressure, for instance, it is passedthrough an oven 11, Figure 14, and from thence into a hydraulic press12.

.'The heavy pressure considerably reduces the thicknessof the pitchfibre composition sheets 7 8, forcing the composition into the holes sothat the composition therein from the sheets 7, 8, becomes practicallyhomogeneous, and the tongues 3 are somewhat flattened so that they formstaples as it were, firmly gripping the composition, and a very firmadhesion results between the glue and metal and between the glue andcomposition so that a strong composite sheet is produced capable ofresisting changes in temperature and variable weather conditions inpractically any climate.

A method of producing a reinforced sheet I 20 for roofing and likepurposes, consisting in providing a thin metallic plate formed with aplurality of openings and tongues projecting from the plate andsurrounding the openings, subjecting the plate to the action of heat,applying adhesive to both sides of the heated plate, applying a feltedsheet of fibrous pulp and pitch to each side of the adhesively coveredplate, subjecting the plate and felted sheet to light pressure to insurean intimate contact between the adhesive and felted sheet and embed thetongues into the felted sheet, and then subjecting the reinforced sheetsuccessively to heat and pressure 'sufliciently. heavy to materiallyreduce the thickness of the sheet, force the material through the holesof the metal sheet and bend the projecting tongues into the feltedsheet.

names to this specification.

FREDERICK. JAMES COMMIN. ARTHUR HENRY JAMES WRIGHT.

In testimony. whereof we have signed our

